Elven Binding Ceremony
by erunyauve
Summary: This is an attempt to write an Elven Binding Ceremony from Tolkien's vague description in 'Laws and Customs among the Eldar'. In English with Sindarin translation.


**Author Notes:** I needed a binding ceremony for a story, and altered a Celtic handfasting ritual to suit my purpose. This is a longer version of the ceremony I used for my story; the Sindarin version follows the English version. Grammatical Notes have been moved to the end of this chapter to comply with ff.net rules. These notes have information on the mutations and sources of grammar and vocabulary used for the translation. There are also notes at the end of this chapter. This was composed before some new information on Sindarin became available, and I understand Sindarin grammar a bit better now - one of these days I will get around to updating it!   
  
**Public Domain:** I occasionally receive requests from other authors to use this ceremony in their fics. I consider all my fanfic to be within the public domain - authors are free to use it, archive it, alter it, spindle or mutate it to their hearts' content. I only ask that you give me credit, as I certainly don't want to be accused of stealing my own stuff!   
  
**Disclaimer:** The names of the Valar belong to Tolkien, the ceremony is traditional Celtic with changes to fit into Tolkien's mythology.   
  


**Elven Binding Ceremony***

  
We call Manwë, Lord of the Breath of Arda. Hear this oath.  
We call Varda, Lady of the Stars. Hear this oath.  
We call Ulmo, Lord of the Waters. Hear this oath.  
We call Yavanna, Queen of the Earth. Hear this oath.   
  
As seed and root,  
as bud and stem,  
as leaf and flower,  
as star-fading and star-opening,  
as life and as love,  
in the sight of Eru,  
thee I take to my hand, my heart and my soul.   
  
And death shall not cleave us,  
as in Aman we shall again meet,  
and know,  
and remember and desire.   
  
I give you this ring as an oath of my love of you.  
May the ring always bear witness to my eternal love.   
  
My beloved bride / bridegroom, to thee I bind myself.  
With this ring, I give thee my heart, my body and the breath of my soul.   
  
O Valar, affirm this union between Children of Eru.  
Watch over them,  
lead them  
and protect them.  
Your blessings give to their household  
and to the children born of their union  
. 

* * *

  
  


**Sindarin Version**

  
Estam Vanwë,* Aran e-Thûl Gardh. Lasto nan-gwaedh hen.  
Estam Varda, Rîs en Elin. Lasto nan-gwaedh hen.  
Estam Ulmo, Aran en-Nîn. Lasto nan-gwaedh hen.  
Estam Yavanna, Rîs e-Cae.* Lasto nan-gwaedh hen.   
  
Be eredh a holch,  
be duiw a delch,  
be lass a loth,  
be vinuial a aduial,  
be guil a be vîl,  
ned i gened Eru, le tegin na gamen, 'uren a faeren.   
  
A gûr law ristatha ven,  
be ned Aman ad geveditham,  
a istatham,  
a geritham rîn a anírad.   
  
Annan le i gorma* hen be 'west o mîlen le.  
Narn i gorma aen ui o mîlen uireb.   
  
Dineth / Daer vilui nîn, al le gwedhin im.  
Ah i gorma hen, annan le 'uren, thrawen a i thûl faeren.   
  
A Valar! Tangado i erthad hen im Hîn Eru.  
Tiro den,  
togo den  
a berio den.  
'Alu lîn anno a cherth dîn  
a nan-hîn ennin o erthad dîn.   
  


* * *

  
* Elven Binding Ceremony   

    Tolkien does not give us a particular ceremony, stating only that no mortal has ever heard the ceremony, but tells us that the names of Manwë, Varda and Eru were called ('Eru' was used only for ceremony; otherwise, 'Ilúvatar' was used). (ref. _Morgoth's Ring_, 'The Laws and Customs among the Eldar')   

* _Vanwë_ = _Manwë_ (lenited as a direct object)   

    I've used the Quenya names for the Valar, as it seems not unlikely that such names might be used in Sindarin, especially during a solemn ceremony - it might be compared to Latin, from which we still borrow words for more formal purposes even though an equivalent exists in English (ie 'Emmanuel' in Christian ceremonies that are otherwise conducted in English).   

* _Cae_   

    This should be _Gae_ (mixed mutation after the preposition/article _en_). However, Tolkien's notes in _The Lost Road_, 'Etymologies' specify that _cae_ is not declinable. I assume this means it is not subject to mutation, probably because _gae_, the most common mutation, means 'dread'. Somehow 'Queen of Dread' doesn't seem quite fitting:)   

* _gorma_ = _corma_ (lenited after the article _i_)   

    This is not a deliberate use of Quenya - there is no word in Sindarin for ring(???!) 
  
  


* * *

  
  


**Grammatical Notes**

  


We call Manwë, Lord of the Breath of Arda. Listen to this oath.  
_Estam Vanwë, Aran e-Thûl Gardh. Lasto nan-gwaedh hen.  
_
    Vanwë - lenited form of _Manwë  
e-Thûl_ - mixed mutation of _en Thûl  
nan-gwaedh hen_ - (lit. 'the oath this'), _hen_ is the lenited form of _sen_.  
  

We call Varda, Lady of the Stars. Listen to this oath.  
_Estam Varda, Rîs en Elin. Lasto nan-gwaedh hen._  
  

We call Ulmo, Lord of the Waters. Listen to this oath.  
_Estam Ulmo, Aran en-Nîn. Lasto nan-gwaedh hen._  
  

We call upon Yavanna, Queen of the Earth. Listen to this oath.  
_Estam Yavanna, Rîs e-Cae. Lasto nan-gwaedh hen.  
_
    Cae - This should be _Gae_ - see note at the end of the first chapter.  
  

As seed and root, as bud and stem,  
_Be eredh a holch, be duiw a delch,  
_
    holch - lenited form of _solch  
duiw_ - lenited form of _tuiw  
delch_ - lenited form of _telch_  
  

as leaf and flower, as star-fading and star-opening, as life and as love,  
_be lass a loth, be vinuial a aduial, be guil a be vîl,  
_
    vinuial - lenited form of _minuial  
guil_ - lenited form of _cuil  
vîl_ - lenited form of _mîl_  
  

in the sight of Eru, thee I bring to my hand, my heart and my soul,  
_ned i gened Eru, le tegin na gamen, 'uren a faeren.  
_
    gened - lenited form of _cened  
le_ - Quenya 'thee', but used in Sindarin (ref. _LOTR_, 'A Elbereth Gilthoniel', p 231, pub. Houghton Mifflin)  
_gamen_ - lenited form of _camen  
'uren_ - lenited form of _guren_  
  

And death shall not cleave us,  
_A gûr law ristatha ven,  
_
    ven - lenited form of _men_  
  

as in Aman again we shall meet,  
_be ned Aman ad geveditham,_  
  

and know, and have remembrance and desire.  
_a istatham, a geritham rîn a anírad.  
_
    anírad - gerund form of the verb _aníro_ (lit. 'desiring')  
  

I give you this ring as an oath of my love of you.  
_Annan le i gorma hen be 'west o mîlen le  
_
    i gorma hen - lit. 'the ring this'. _gorma_ is the lenited form of _corma_ (Quenya), and _hen_ is the lenited form of _sen_.  
_'west_ - lenited form of _gwest_  
  

May the ring tell always  
_Narn i gorma aen ui_  
  

of my eternal love.  
_o mîlen uireb._  
  

My loving bride / bridegroom, to thee I bind myself.  
_Dineth / Daer vilui nîn, al le gwedhin im.  
_
    vilui - lenited form of _milui  
al le_ - nasal mutation of _an le_  
  

With this ring, I give thee my heart, my body and the breath of my soul.  
_Ah i gorma hen, annan le 'uren, thrawen a i thûl faeren.  
_
    i gorma hen - (lit. 'the ring this'), _gorma_ is the lenited form of _corma_, _hen_ is the lenited form of _sen_.  
_'uren_ - lenited form of _guren  
thrawen_ - lenited form of _rhawen_  
  

O Valar, make firm this union between Children of Eru.  
_A Valar! Tangado i erthad hen im Hîn Eru.  
_
    i erthad hen - (lit. 'the union this'), _hen_ is the lenited form of _sen_.  
  

Watch over them, lead them and protect them. Your blessings give to their household  
_Tiro den, togo den a berio den. 'Alu lîn anno a cherth dîn  
_
    den - lenited form of _ten  
'Alu_ - lenited form of _Galu_ (as the direct object of 'give')  
a cherth - nasal mutation of _an herth  
dîn_ - lenited form of _tîn_  
  

and to the children born of their union.  
_a nan-hîn ennin o erthad dîn._  

  


* * *

  


**Sources**

  
Some of these sources contradict one another, so I've done my best to figure out what seems most correct. I've eliminated the URLs because ff.net will only strip them out - all of them can be found on the homepage listed under my ff.net profile.  
  
Ryszard Derdzinski, _Summary of the Sindarin Grammar_   
  
Helge Fauskanger, _Sindarin - The Noble Tongue_   
  
Helge Fauskanger, _Suggested Conjugation of all known or inferred Sindarin verbs_   
  
J. R. R. Tolkien, _The Lost Road_, 'Etymologies', pub. Ballantine/Del Rey   
  
Didier Willis, _Hiswelókë, The Sindarin Dictionary Project_   



End file.
